Highlander: The College Years
by Quicksilver
Summary: Richie gets sent to college- and by the end of it, he'll wish MacLeod or Methos had beheaded him instead!
1.

Oriented, Disoriented and Generally Confused   
Highlander: The College Years- Story 1   
by: Quicksilver   
mbsilvana@yahoo.com   
Standard Disclaimers   
Author note: Another older series I dug out and revised. This is the first in a planned series of stories. In this universe, Archangel didn't happen, and Richie is going to college. Penn University may be real, but I don't think it is. (There's a U of P, but this ain't it!)   
I have it set in the city of Philly, on the West side. Some of the places mentioned may be real. Anyone wanna guess what college I'm attending?   
Can anyone imagine a sword-wielding college student? All sorts of possibilities!   
Thanks go to RC and Joanna, my betas. Virtual chocolate (hershey's kisses) for them as well. :-)   
  
********************  
"There are three ingredients in the good life: learning, earning and yearning."   
-Christopher Morley   
********************  
  
Richie Ryan looked down at the books he had just purchased. They were damn heavy and cost more than it cost to feed a family of four for a month. He sighed and shook his head. "Mac, I don't think this was such a good idea."   
  
Duncan MacLeod smiled, his whiter-than-white teeth flashing in the sunlight. "You're doing this, Richie. I've paid your tuition already, and I NEVER make bad investments."   
  
Richie looked at his former teacher, sometimes friend, and the greatest irritation of his Immortal life. "Can't you just take my head and get it with over quickly?" he begged. He REALLY didn't want to do this.   
  
"We've discussed this already," MacLeod said seriously, looking intently at his protégé. "More than anything, you'll need an education. You've got to become more intelligent if you expect to survive the Game and life in general."   
  
Richie's cheeks flushed with bright humiliation, remember the time he hadn't been so smart. Richie Ryan had been officially "dead" and now there was nothing he could do about it. He was trapped by his own stupidity. "Fine. But don't expect me to enjoy it."   
  
MacLeod sent a knowing smile towards Richie. "We'll see. Besides, How often do you get to be eighteen twice?"   
  
********************  
"You can lead a boy to college, but you can't make him think."   
-George Ade   
********************  
  
Richie Ryan looked at the other people in his orientation class. They all seemed so young and nervous. He looked at his "Uncles" Duncan and Adam (who seemed to be deriving far too much amusement from this to suit Richie), then at his "Father". "I'll get you all for this," he promised himself under his breath. He didn't think he and Dawson looked enough like each other for the charade to work.   
  
A lady walked onto the stage, wearing a truly hideous lavender suit. Her shoes were at least four inches high, and her fat thighs rubbed against each other. Richie tried not to flinch as she made her laborious way towards the microphone. He watched, feeling an unexpected twinge of fear. He had earned a GED, but not an actual high school diploma. As he looked around at his new peers, he thought each one looked ten times as smart as he was. What the hell am I doing here? he wondered for the fiftieth time.   
  
The lady picked up the mike, and it screeched in protest. Adam and Duncan covered their ears, but Dawson just laughed. I thought musicians were suppose to be more sensitive, Richie thought.   
  
The purple blimp finally spoke. "Hello! I'm Sydney Wallace, your Directer of Student Affairs! I'd like to welcome you to the one hundred and third year of Penn University!"   
  
The audience applauded politely, but Sydney wasn't done yet. "Before we begin, I'd like to welcome a special guest, Miss Badu Jackson."   
  
An African American woman dressed in the bright robes of her ancestors walked on-stage and took the microphone away from Sydney. She looked at the audience and smiled. "First, I'd like to begin with a song...."   
  
Richie closed his eyes, pained. If there was one thing he hated, it was singing in a group. Methos looked at him, smirking.   
  
********************  
"Anyone who is happy all the time must be mad."   
Leo Rosten   
********************  
  
Richie looked at the people who would be sharing the next five years of his life. They were all liberal arts majors, and looked the part. Richie, a kid from the streets, was frankly shocked by all the piercing these kids had managed to do. He slouched down in his chair, trying to become invisible.   
  
"So, what's your name?" asked the nearest kid, a tall young man with hair that almost blocked his eyes.   
  
Richie thought of ignoring him, but decided it was better not to make any enemies. Yet. "Ryan Richardson," he answered, flashing his charming smile.   
  
"Neat! My name is Richard Wisniewski. People call me Dick, though," he said cheerfully.   
  
I can see why, Richie thought, trying to be compassionate and failing. This kid was barely eighteen, and this was probably the first time he'd been away from home. He was a touch too friendly, too eager. Richie felt light-years older. If all the freshmen are like this, maybe I can see about getting in an upper-classmen's dorm....   
  
"Nice ta meet cha," Richie replied politely.   
  
"So where you from?" Dick asked. "I'm from York, Pennsylvania. Not that far away...." Dick started.   
  
Richie spent the next five minutes nodding his head, unable to get a word in edgewise (i.e. tell the kid to shut the hell up). Finally the door opened, and in walked an older student.   
  
"Hi!" she chirped cheerfully. "My name is Jenni, with an i, and I'll be with you for the next semester! I'm gonna show you how great Penn Universtity is! I hope you'll be patient and learn to love the place as much as I do!"   
  
She moved to the front of the room, and Richie got his first good look at her. She was slender without being thin, pretty without being gorgeous. The cheerleader type, he thought with a groan.   
  
"Now, first, I want to get to know all your names! You are all going to be family for the next five years, so then we're going to do some bonding activities."   
  
They exchanged personal information (name, home, dorm and such) for the next fifteen minutes, Richie worrying about the "bonding" activities. Bonding was too new-agey for him, and he REALLY didn't want to be here. He considered challenging Duncan -or better yet, Methos- just to get out of here. Methos would take his head if he asked politely enough. Considerate Immortal that he was.   
  
Richie was almost asleep when someone tapped him on the shoulder. Dick looked at him nervously. "You'll be my partner, right?" he asked worriedly.   
  
Richie considered telling him to go shove something up where the sun didn't shine, but once again, his good sense stopped him. "Sure," he mumbled.   
  
Jenni was pairing off the people who didn't have partners. "Okay," she began, "I want you to tell each other the most important secret in your lives," she said.   
  
Richie almost laughed. Tell a perfect stranger his major secret? "Um, hi, my name's really Richie Ryan, I'm twenty-three, and I'm Immortal. I go around chopping people's heads off." Here's your first-class ticket to the loony bin, sir.   
  
Dick bit his lip, trying to decide. "Um, well," he began, a flush creeping up his neck.   
  
"I'm an orphan," Richie said quietly, deciding that it was a safe enough "secret" to share.   
  
Dick's eyes widened like Richie's admission was a major secret. "I'm a virgin!" Dick blurted out quietly.   
  
Richie looked Dick over and tried not to smile. The kid was still going through an awkward phase, but he'd have his share of ladies when everything came together. Richie felt his dislike towards Dick fade away. Dick was just a kid. "It won't be forever," he consoled quietly.   
  
Dick looked at him. "You're not?" he asked.   
  
Richie laughed. "I lived on the streets for a while," he explained. "No one's innocent past their fifteenth birthday.   
  
Dick was about to replied when Jenni interrupted, bouncing back towards the front of the room. "Since you've all shared secrets, you all now have made your first friend on campus! Aside from me, that is!" She flipped through a pile of papers that were sitting on the desk. "Now for the hard part. Roommate assignments!"   
  
This time Richie groaned out loud.  
  
********************  
"Man is the only animal that blushes- or needs to."   
-Mark Twain   
********************  
  
Methos dropped the suitcase on the floor, glaring at MacLeod's protégé. "What the hell did you pack?"   
  
Richie smiled, finally getting a little of his own back from the ancient. "That happens to be my weight equipment." He faked a concerned expression. "Is it too heavy for you?"   
  
Methos muttered something about Richie's probable ancestors. Dawson stepped in before things escalated. "So where's your roommate?" he wondered, trying to distract the bickering immortals.   
  
"I dunno," Richie shrugged. "Maybe he decided he didn't want to come after all," he said hopefully. College policy forbade freshmen from having single dorms, but that didn't stop Richie from hoping.   
  
"We might as well unpack," MacLeod suggested. He grabbed the bed clothes and started to make the bed closest to the window. Richie watched, bemused. He had no idea that MacLeod could be so... domestic. An image of Duncan waving a broom at an enemy flashed through Richie's mind. Unworthy of him, but it was still damn funny.   
  
Methos headed back towards his car to bring some more of Richie's stuff. Richie had just started to unpack his clothes when there was a commotion at the door.   
  
He looked up, surprised. A thin woman entered, followed by an older, harried-looking gentleman. The gentlemen had a firm grip on a boy's arm.   
  
The boy was obviously Richie's roommate. He was slender, and barely five six. His face was effeminate, pretty in a Leonardo Dicaprio kind of way. His hair was a glossy black, and his eyes a dreamy blue. Obviously the females would love him, and the males would hate him. Richie sighed. He wondered what the kid would do it he decided to take out his sword.   
  
The woman gave him an appraising look. "You must be Ryan," she said bluntly.   
  
Richie smiled, determined to charm. "That's right. The man with the cane is my father, Joe-" he said. Joe waved, then went back to sorting Richie's CD's into alphabetically order. "The man-" he frowned, trying to figure out what MacLeod was doing, "um, cleaning, is my Uncle Duncan." Duncan didn't even look up, intent on... whatever he was doing. "And my last uncle, Adam, is down at the car, getting more of my junk."   
  
The woman nodded. "I'm Dana Trels, this is my husband Kyle, and THIS," she said, grabbing her reluctant offspring and pushing him forward, "is Alex."   
  
Richie smiled comfortingly. "Hi," he said.   
  
"Hello," Alex replied quietly. His voice was naturally soft, but Richie caught the melodic sounds from that one word. This boy was going to be trouble.   
  
"So, how about you start unpacking?" Richie suggested. Alex smiled shyly at him.   
  
It was then, of course, that Methos re-entered the room, swearing all the way, carrying all of Richie's assorted weaponry. Alex's eyes widened as the old man dumped it on Richie's bed.   
  
"This damn stuff kept poking me in the ass! Why the hell did you pack it all? Your sword and a pole would have been quite enough! When I was in college, we didn't have all this damn stuff! You brought some clean underwear, shampoo, and enough beer to see you through a semester!" Methos declared. He stopped as soon as he realized how quiet the room had gotten. With a muttered oath (muttering was become one of his favorite actions) he spun around and exited to get more.   
  
"Um, he's sort of cranky," Joe said, filling the silence. "Long trip."   
  
"What's all that stuff for?" Dana demanded. She looked at Richie like he was a wolf about to eat her beloved child.   
  
Richie already had an explanation planned. "I'm a martial arts expert," he explained. "These are my tools." He picked up a quarterstaff (one of the least threatening things in his arsenal), tossed it to Alex, who caught it, even though he was surprised. "If you want, Alex, I can teach you some stuff," he offered. Maybe I won't have to protect him all the time that way....   
  
Alex swung the quarterstaff experimentally. His eyes were wide. "I think I'd like to learn," Alex said determinedly.   
  
Richie had a flash of what Alex's life must have been up until then. Too pretty for his own good, he'd been beaten on by all the boys, and pitied and coddled by all the females. Enough to drive any self-respecting male to thoughts of suicide.   
  
"It's not that hard," Richie said encouragingly. "In fact, if we go to the Gym tonight, I can teach you some of the basics of self-defense."   
  
Alex nodded, then turned towards the door. "I'm going to go get my stuff," he said.   
  
Kyle left with his son, leaving only Dana with MacLeod and Richie. MacLeod was now absorbed in something else (ironing underwear?) Richie thought, incredulously. "I'll keep an eye on him," he reassured Dana.   
  
Dana's eyes softened. "Thanks," she whispered. Then she straightened her spine. "If anything happens to him, it's on YOUR head," she said.   
  
Richie laughed. "No one messes with my buds and gets away with it," he said.   
  
  
********************  
"The way to love anything is to realize it might be lost."   
-G. K. Chesterton   
********************  
  
MacLeod looked at Richie. "I guess it's time for me to go."   
  
Richie nodded, once again feeling a pang. Every time he and Duncan said farewell to each other, it as more and more possible that it was the last time.   
  
"I'll write," Richie promised.   
  
"Of course you will," MacLeod laughed, having already seen Richie's idea of "correspondence". A postcard with a message like "I'm fine" scrawled on it. Then MacLeod's face grew serious. "You'll do well enough," he reassured Richie. "You're a bright kid."   
  
The problem with being so fair, Richie thought, is that your skin blushes so easily. "Thanks, Mac," he said.   
  
Duncan reached out and hugged Richie. "See you in a couple of months," he said. He started to walk towards the car where Joe and Methos were waiting.   
  
Richie watched him leave. As the car drew out of sight, Richie turned away, back towards his dorm, and towards his new life.   
  
  
  
THE END   



	2. Subtlety Not Included

Highlander: The College Years   
Part 2   
Subtlety Not Included   
By: Quicksilver   
Author's Note: This is a sequel- i.e. read the first one first! Virtual lemon-drops to my betas, RC and Joanna, without whom this piece would be A LOT worse....   
  
  
  
Richie looked at Alex, who made a face back at him. They each held their ID cards (their only reason for living, according to Guidance) out towards the cashier. She sniffed disdainfully (way more intelligent than these lowly FRESHMEN) and took them, daintily sliding them through the machine. "Help yourself," she said generously, indicating the cafeteria behind her. "It's all you can eat."  
  
Richie got a tray, and searched through the silverware, trying to find utensils that were actually clean. Alex hung close to him, eyeing the upperclassmen nervously. "They don't haze Freshmen, do they?" he asked in his quiet voice.   
  
"Only if you join a frat," Richie replied. He gave up on the hunt for clean silverware and took the nearest thing he could find. He looked over at the food warily.   
  
Five minutes later he sat down across from Alex. His tray was loaded with all sorts of food, everything from pasta to chicken to salad.   
  
"Are you really going to eat all that?" Alex wondered.   
  
Richie laughed and shook his head. "I had a little advice before coming here from a friend who has spent a LOT of time in college," Richie said. Even though Methos' advice hasn't helped me much in the past.... "Half of what is in the cafeteria is strictly inedible. One of those unwritten laws of college." He picked up his semi-clean fork, polished it with a napkin, and stabbed a piece of pasta. "Wish me luck," he whispered melodramatically.   
  
I'm lucky I'm an Immortal, Richie thought after his first bite. I wonder if Alex can stand it.   
  
Alex picked up his own utensil and speared a piece of lettuce. Richie watched as he struggled to swallow. "How did they manage to screw up lettuce?" Alex wondered.   
  
"I don't even want to THINK about it. Still, eat up. If your going to the Gym with me, you'll have to eat for energy," Richie grinned. Have to keep in practice, after all. Throwing my books at a sword-wielding Immortal might not be a bad thing - they'd certainly knock him over - but having a sword around might be a better idea.   
  
Alex sighed and started to eat. Richie cut a piece of chicken, wondering how he was going to survive five years of this food.   
****  
  
Richie looked around the Gym dubiously. Maybe I should join a club, he thought half-heartedly. It might just save me a headache in the long run. The equipment, while well cared for, was at least ten years old. I guess we can start with the quarterstaffs...   
  
Alex sat down on the floor and started to stretch. Relieved that Alex seemed to have some basics, Richie started stretching with a slow, weaponless kata. His movements were graceful and almost dance-like, but all he had to do was apply some speed and they'd turn deadly. Alex watched him, almost awed. "You're good," Alex admitted, watching his roommate. "Did you ever enter any competitions?" he asked.   
  
Richie kept himself from spitting out the obvious replies. Sure, man, I chop people head's off -or- Does a fight to the death count? "Naw. Just a hobby."   
  
He picked up one of the quarterstaffs and started a kata with it. Alex watched, then picked up the other quarterstaff. His hands ran over the smooth wood. "So where do I start?" he asked Richie.   
  
Richie stopped what he was doing, trying to decide. What's the best approach? Throw him in and watch him flounder, or begin step by step? He scanned Alex's slender frame, and decided on the first approach. He better learn how to defend himself.... "By defending yourself!" Richie said.   
  
Richie swung a blow at Alex, about half-speed. Alex raised his staff and batted it away. Richie reversed the blow, coming back down, quickly but gently. Alex tried to block, missed, and found himself sitting on the floor. Richie helped him to his feet. "You have to protect your entire body, not just your face," Richie advised his roommate.   
  
Alex nodded, his pretty features becoming determined.   
  
And so it went for the next half hour, Alex improving after every exchange. Richie wouldn't admit it, but he was impressed. Finally he called a halt. "Start easy," he advised when Alex protested. "Anyway, we have to get back to the dorm. Classes start tomorrow."   
  
Alex took the towel Richie tossed to him and mopped his sopping forehead. "This is harder than it looks."   
  
"Sure is. Anything that's worthwhile is!" Richie replied cheerfully.   
  
Alex shook his head. "I'm going to take a shower."   
****  
  
Richie sat at his computer screen, answering his E-mail. MacLeod hadn't sent him anything, which kind of hurt Richie's feelings. Methos, though, sent him a personalized computer image - Immortal Baby. The Baby danced around waving a sword for a few seconds, then its head popped off. Richie laughed aloud.   
  
Alex looked up from the picture he was drawing. "What is it?" he asked, curious.   
  
Richie rubbed the tears out of his eyes. "A joke Adam sent," he said.   
  
Alex nodded and didn't press anymore. Richie E-mailed Joe, asking if there was anything he should be aware of - like certain unkillable people. Then he shut his computer down.   
  
He ran a hand through his hair, which was still damp from his shower. "I'm thinking of going to bed," Richie told Alex.   
  
Just as his lifted the covers to crawl in, a loud rap sounded on the door. Richie looked at Alex, who shrugged, his eyes wide. Realizing Alex's shyness would inhibit him, Richie opened the door. "Yah?" he asked.   
  
Two girls were standing there, one a statuesque blond and the other a petite red-head. "Hi!" the blond chirped. "We're in the room right across! We wanted to meet the neighbors!"   
  
Richie stepped aside and let them in. The girls looked around curiously, before their attention fell on Alex. Richie watched as the blonde's expression immediately turned softer. "Hi," she said in a softer voice. "My name is Beth, and this is Darian," the blond said.   
  
"Alex," Richie's roommate replied. "And the red-head over there is Ryan."   
  
Darian, who still hadn't spoken, sat down next to Alex. She peered curiously at the book Alex had been reading. Alex watched her warily, obviously wary of the female. "It's a copy of BULFINCH'S MYTHOLOGY," he said.   
  
Darian nodded and picked the book up. "I think I read this. It looks familiar."   
  
Richie watched the two begin a quiet conversation. That left him with Beth. Which was fine by both of them.   
  
"What's your major?" Beth asked.   
  
"Liberal Arts - in other words, I haven't a clue," Richie told her.   
  
"Mine's Psychology - in other words, something useless," Beth replied. "We have one more roommate, Percy, but she's....odd."   
  
"Odd?" Richie asked. "How can you make an opinion of her so soon?"   
  
"Well, there's this THING sitting on her bed. She used to have a pet lamb named Mr. Squiggles, but he got sent to be slaughter. She saved the skin, though, and sleeps with it. And she talks to it," Beth said, shuddering.   
  
Richie had heard of stranger things (hell, he WAS a stranger thing), but what Beth said made him relieved that his roommate was as normal as Alex. "Well, I guess I'm luckier."   
  
Beth smiled and sat down on Richie's bed. "You guys have a nice set-up here," she said quietly.   
  
Richie nodded and was just about to reply, when he felt it. The Buzz. Damn, less than twenty-four hours! he thought. Can't I go ANYWHERE where there are no Immortals? Now that I'm away from MacLeod, you'd think the bad-guys would leave me alone!   
  
Beth watched Richie's eyes flicker from side to side. "Um, I just remembered something," Richie told her. He walked right passed her and out into the hall. Maybe I should get my sword.... No one was out there, so he turned around and walked back into the room. That was odd, he thought. He resolved to take his sword EVERYWHERE with him.   
****  
  
Richie's alarm went off at seven, which was way too early. He groaned and rolled over, feeling disorientated. At college... that's right, he thought blurrily. Classes at eight. Eight o'clock classes - a very bad thing!   
  
He watched as Alex got out of bed. Alex started to rummage around for clothes. "Oh, Ryan! Good morning! It's morning!" Alex chirped.   
  
Great... a morning person. Richie wondered if beheading his chipper roommate would get him in trouble. Probably....   
  
Richie rolled out of the bed and hit the floor. He shook his head like a dog, trying to get the curls out of his eyes. He dragged himself over to his closet and pulled out a pair of jeans. Pulling them on, he wondered how he would distract Alex long enough to hide his sword. He looked at the gym bag and sighed. It looked like he'd have to carry the bag around. Not very subtle.   
  
"Do you want to go get breakfast?" Richie asked.   
  
"Will it be better than last night's dinner?" Alex asked hopefully.   
  
"Probably not."   
****  
  
Richie sat in his first class. Of all people, Dick, someone he'd met in orientation plopped down right beside him. "Hi!" he said cheerily.   
  
Richie decided that this was a BAD THING. Dick was too puppyish to survive on his own, and apparently realized it. Thus he latched onto Richie like a barnacle. Richie considered telling him to shove it, but once again, decided that ignoring him would be better. No use in making enemies.   
  
"Hi," Richie replied absentmindedly, then started to scribble in his notebook. I am going to chop MacLeod's head off.... I am going to chop MacLeod's head off.... I am -   
  
He was interrupted by the sound of the door shutting with a resounding thud. He looked up at a young-looking woman who walked in. She was about Richie's REAL age, slender and competent looking. "Hello," she said in a voice that managed to be loud without yelling.   
  
He glanced at Dick and saw the teenager's eyes widen. Dick had just fallen head-over-heels in lust. "Wow," Dick whispered.   
  
Richie sighed, amused. This could be amusing.   
  
"My name is Ms. Bernell. I am your TA for this class. The Professor, Professor Laud, is still on vacation. So today we'll just go over the basics of the course." She started to talk about organic chemistry.   
  
Richie got his pen ready, and started to scribble. Methos was right.... Methos was right.... I'm going to kill MacLeod.... I'm going to.....   
  
  
  
  
THE END  
  
Okay, so Richie ain't happy right now......   
A Sequel, I promise!   
  
  
  



	3. Adventures in Shopping

Adventures in Shopping   
by: Quicksilver   
mbsilvana@yahoo.com   
standard disclaimers   
NOTE: This is the third in the Richie at college series. Um, and most of the events described have happened to me in some way, shape, or form (I know someone who keeps her pet lamb skin on the bed, and Professor Laud is A LOT like my chem teacher). Fiction imitates life. All names have been changed to protect the innocent.   
Oh, can any of you design an Immortal Dancing Baby?   
  
  
  
The professor was making absolutely no sense. Richie watched as the chubby man walked across the floor, waving his hands dramatically. "What kind of world do we live in?" he said, gesturing with his pen-light.   
  
Of course, no one replied. It was the second day of classes and everyone was still shy. The professor frown in frustration but didn't stop in his tirade. "We don't live in an atomic world. We live in a molar world." Professor Laud paused. "And what is a molar world based on?"   
  
Richie felt his eyes begin to glaze. He was in the third row back, so he doubted if Laud would notice if he took a short nap....   
  
He jerked awake when Professor Laud yelled at the top of his voice, "MOLES! That's what it all comes down to! MOLES!"   
  
Richie looked at Dick, trying to smoother a groan. Moles. Big deal. Dick pushed a lock of his long hair out of his eyes, and continued to scribble down everything the Professor was saying.   
  
Richie looked down at his tape recorder and noticed that it had stopped recording. With a sigh, he flip the tape over and continued to record.   
  
Richie waited outside the cafeteria for his lunchmates. Beth had talked him into dragging Alex along for lunch. Alex, though, was off in his own little world, scribbling in his art book. Alex was a very introverted person, and Richie was relieved. Alex didn't asked uncomfortable questions that could get too close to his real identity.   
  
Beth pulled up, literally dragging Darian in her wake. Darian's fair skin was flushed, but Richie couldn't tell if it was from embarrassment or anger. Then he caught a glimpse of her eyes. Definitely embarrassment. "Hi!" Beth said cheerily. "Are we ready to try to eat what they consider food?"   
  
Richie smiled and led the way into the cafeteria. He managed to get his tray loaded with food, then went out towards the exit. The cashier stopped him, demanding his card, which he turned over. She slid it through the scanner, smiling as the bell chirped irritatingly. "You're over your lunch limit- but don't worry, I just took it out of your declining balance."   
  
Richie smiled politely, making a mental note to check out exactly what a declining balance was.   
  
He finally sat down at a small table with Alex and the girls. Darian was picking at her food, no saying anything, and Beth was eating a bag of cheese popcorn. Pre-packaged food- might be a safe thing! Richie thought.   
  
"So, are you up for a trip?" Beth asked cheerfully.   
  
"A trip where?" Richie asked. He hadn't had a chance to explore the city yet (i.e. find any good hiding places in case he ran into people with long life-lines), so the idea was tempting.   
  
"South Street," Beth said.   
  
Alex coughed up some of his food. "You want to go down to South Street?" he asked.   
  
Darian looked up, confused. "What's South Street?" she asked, voicing Richie's thoughts.   
  
Beth grinned wickedly. "It's just a place."   
  
Alex shook his. "Yeah, right. And Santa Claus is Jewish."   
  
Richie was surprised to hear Alex's sarcasm. "Could one of you please tell me what South Street is?" he asked.   
  
"It's where the freaks hang out," Alex said quietly. "Lots of street shops, lots of stuff to do, and a lot of VERY strange people."   
  
Richie looked at him. "I've probably been in worse places," he said quietly.   
  
"So you'll come?" Beth asked. "I want to go, but I need an escort. Lone female wandering around down there is just a VERY BAD idea, if you get what I mean."   
  
Richie smiled at Beth, unaware that he was being watched at that very moment. "I'd love to!" he said. "And Darian and Alex will have to come to, of course."   
  
Alex just frowned, but since it looked harmless, Richie ignored it.   
  
"And we came down here after dark because?" Richie asked, hoping for once, to get a straight answer out of Beth. "I have a Chem Lab at eight tomorrow," he griped.   
  
"You have to come down here after dark," Beth insisted. "A lot of the interesting shops are closed until then."   
  
*******  
  
Alex and Darian were standing very close together, almost looking like two lost children. Both were extremely petite and fragile looking. "Um, guys?" Richie said, looking at the two of them. They turned frightened eyes on him. "Can you two try to look a little less afraid?"   
  
Alex smiled hesitantly, but Darian merely looked terror stricken. A man walked by, singing at that top of his lungs. "The Lord is here! Repent, all ye sinners! The Lord knows you!"   
  
South Street was a collage of shops, neon lights, and the freaks who populated it. There was a strong police presence (Philadelphia's Finest were in every other coffee shop), but the place still had an air of freedom. Many people looked perfectly normal, but they only made the true weirdoes stick out even more. He saw someone walk by with a foot-high mohawk. I thought the mohawk was eighties, he wondered.   
  
Tattoo parlors (with names Like The Bloody Mary) and piercing shops seemed to be the order, but Richie walked right by a Gap, which didn't seem out of place. Everything goes on South Street, he thought. It was a fun looking place.   
  
Beth smiled at Richie. "You know, I've been wanting to get my tongue pierced. You'd look awfully cute with an eyebrow ring, Richie," she said. She started to walk down the street, totally oblivious to the fact that the rest of her crew was hanging back.   
  
Richie, even though he was Immortal, didn't like pain all that much. And he though he'd have a hard time explaining why the hole closed before the needle was out of his skin. Not a good thing!   
  
A woman waltzed across the street, wearing bits of leather sown with loose ribbons, and not much else. Richie watched her, wondering why only the ugliest people felt compelled to display their bodies in such a ways....   
  
He watched Beth cross a street towards one of the most scary of the piercing shop. Inferno, its sign read. Richie exchange glances with Darian, then followed.   
  
The shop was all in bright reds and purples, deliberately clashing. Darian was almost curled in on herself. Alex, for once, was brave, squeezing Darian's arm reassuringly. She smiled, but her heart wasn't in it. A large man with tattoos all over the visible skin (of which the black leather left quite a lot of bare), smiled. Richie noticed that he was missing a tooth. In other words, a refugee from Hell's Angels. Beth bounced up to him boisterously.   
  
"Hi!" she exclaimed cheerfully. "Do you do tongue piercing here?" she asked.   
  
He nodded. "Indeed we do, young lady," he answered, his voice surpassingly rich and deep- James-Earl-Jonish. Richie blinked a few times. The voice did NOT fit in with the overall persona. "I just need two forms of picture ID, and we can do it."   
  
Beth frowned thoughtfully, then pulled out her college ID (the oh-so-important card that was the focus of her existence, according to Guidance). "Will this do?" she asked hopefully. "I forgot my driver's license."   
  
The thought of Beth driving was enough to make Richie gain a few gray hairs on his Immortal head. God save the world! he prayed   
  
Tattoo-man took it in a meaty fist, then shook his head. "It doesn't have your date of birth. I could loose my license. Come back when you have a form of picture ID." Beth sulked, but led the way out of the shop. Richie looked back once, noticing the man giving him a cheerful wave.   
  
"Is there anything you want to do while down here?"   
  
Beth shook her head. "A little shopping, but nothing in particular. Darian said something about buying some pictures for our room."   
  
"It's so empty!" Darian exclaimed, coming out of her shell a little. "Except for a little of Percy's things, but I don't even want to THINK about them," Darian said with a shudder.   
  
Richie remembered the comments about the dead thing on Percy's bed. "Is there anything worse than that?" he asked with a shudder.   
  
"How about a pentagram?" Beth asked.   
  
Richie had more experience with things of that nature then he even wanted to think of. "Let's just go to the poster store," he said hastily.   
  
On the way to the poster store, Beth started to laugh. "Condom Kingdom!" she exclaimed happily. "I haven't been in there in ages!"   
  
Richie glanced where she was pointing, and sure enough, there was a store that's neon sign proclaimed itself as such. "They have stores just to sell condoms?" he asked, surprised.   
  
"Of course they do! Sex sells! Let's go!" Beth declared happily, starting across the street. Richie followed her, and he himself was tailed by two extremely embarrassed teenagers.   
  
Beth waltzed in, as flighty as ever as she admired one display after another. "Ticklely Wiglers?" Richie thought, horrified. He heard someone's labored breath, and turned to watch Darian flee from the store. Alex followed her, almost as bright. Richie grabbed Beth's arm and pulled her out. "The others can't handle it," he said quietly.   
  
"Darn. I was going to get some Lickin' Lemon-" Beth began, but Richie firmly clamped a hand over her mouth as they walked up to the two other members of their group.   
  
Alex was coaching Darian. "If you don't start breathing right, I'll have to call the paramedics," he was saying quietly. "How about you sit down and put your head between your knees?"   
  
Darian shook her head. Her breathing was gradually becoming more even. "My mother would flip if she knew I'd been in a store like that," she said.   
  
Beth looked contrite. "I'm sorry. Next time SAY you don't want to do something."   
  
"I will," Darian said. "Can we go home now? Please?" she asked.   
  
"Sure," Beth answered. "We'll grab the El at Fifth," she said, referring to Philly's subway.   
  
It was about an eight block walk back, which gave Richie plenty of time to reflect on the past events, South Street had been interesting, and it would be fun to explore- preferably without Beth. Much as he liked her, Beth was a little too careless to survive hanging around an Immortal too long.   
  
About two hours later, Alex and Richie stumbled into his room. The subway had been temporarily closed (something about a man jumping in front of a train, which reminded Richie of Mikey), so the group had been forced to wait. And wait. And wait.   
  
Subway's weren't Richie's favorite thing. Far too easy to become trapped in a cart with a lunatic. Never mind that some people would consider HIM the lunatic, what with his sword and all....   
  
Richie collapsed on his bed, and quickly fell asleep. Tomorrow would be his first Chemistry lab, and he had the feeling he was going to need it.....   
  
  
  
THE END   
Part Four in the Works!   
mbsilvana@yahoo.com   
FEEDBACK! FEEDBACK!!!!!!   



	4. Exothermic Reactions

Highlander: The College Years   
Exothermic Reactions   
By: Quicksilver   
Here we go.... again   
Many thanks to Remy and Joanna.... and candy canes! (hey, I'm Christmas-y today).   
A NOTE : For those of you who have yet to or didn't take College Chem, or maybe forgot what they learned, Magnesium and Hydrochloric acid have a NASTY reaction...... it gives off a lot of heat (it's exothermic, thus the title) and smoke.... It's not ANYTHING you want to have spilled on you!   
This story is much shorter then the first three (and the next one) because Richie was traumatized and stopped talking about Chem lab. It IS finished (and will certainly have repercussions later).....   
*************  
  
Richie woke to the alarm clock, which was far too insistent for his liking. He rolled over and considered hitting snooze, but then he remembered where he was. Damn it. Chem Lab.....   
  
Richie crawled out of bed, wishing that he was somewhere - anywhere - else. Preferably a nice warm beach with a beauty queen.....   
  
He glanced over at his roommate Alex, and felt a spurt of jealousy. Alex was asleep, looking like a young child, his shiny black hair spread on the pillow. Richie looked at his clock (which read 7:30) and decided that the world was just plain unfair. Alex didn't have any classes until noon.   
  
After a quick shower (in a small grimy cubicle that made Richie long for the showers at DeSalvo's Gym), Richie walked back to his room to grab his lab coat. His hair was still slightly damp, but there was no way he was going to mess with it. Alex was still dead to the world, and Richie contemplated dumping a bucket of water over Alex's head. With a sigh of regret, Richie decided that he would just have to content himself with slamming the door on the way out.   
  
Richie made it to the lab just before eight. He darted over to his lab desk, pulled his coat on and stood at attention as a short, harried-looking woman walked into the room. She smiled distractedly before pulling out a piece of chalk and started writing on the black board.....   
  
Richie winced as she drew the chalk across the board, causing the board to screech in protest...   
She quickly scribbled out a bunch of formulas, Richie scrawling in his notebook. His handwriting certainly left something to be desired, but there was really nothing he could do about it now. Finally she finished, and Richie looked around. Time to find a lab partner, he thought, feeling a spurt of fear. He had thought he was WAY past the self-consciousness of his teenage years, but apparently not. He watched the other students look around, and decided it was up to him to make the first move. Kind of like dating, he thought, amused. Someone has to get up the courage to go first.   
He smiled at the girl at the next bench. "Wanna be my partner?" he asked casually.   
  
She ran a quick glance over him, assessing. "Sure," she said finally. "My name's Kara," she informed him.   
  
"Ryan," he replied, returning her glance. Kara was cute, in a little-girl kind of way. Her shiny brown hair was bobbed neatly at her chin, and her blue eyes were wide and innocent. She was about five and a half feet tall, and skinny. Richie looked at her cheekbones and wondered if she was anorexic.   
  
"I hope you know more about this than I do," she said nervously. "I'm an English major, and chemistry is NOT my thing."   
  
"How hard can it be?" Richie replied. "We're just titrating a Hydrochloric Solution - it shouldn't take more then a few minutes."   
  
"We have to dilute the hydrochloric acid from twelve molar to two molar," Kara replied. "I'm a klutz - how about I set up the apparatus while you dilute it?"   
  
Richie nodded and grabbed a beaker. He patiently stood in line as the other students dispensed the acid from its container, which was located under the fume hood. After collecting 50 milliliters, he turned around to bring it back to the lab table. Unfortunately, Kara knocked the beaker over on him with her elbow as soon as he set it down. Her eyes widened in horror. "I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed. Reaching for a beaker of water, she tossed it on him, trying to dilute the acid.   
  
Richie was just starting to feel the acid's burn when the water hit him. Unfortunately for Richie, the beaker wasn't full of just water. A Magnesium precipate had been left in the water by a careless sophomore, and the Magnesium started to react as soon as it hit Richie.   
  
By now the entire lab was watching Richie. He stumbled toward the emergency shower, hoping to wash the reactants off. The steam and heat from the reaction HURT, and Richie knew he'd have to think fast to get out of this one without revealing his Immortality.   
  
The lab professor shoved him under the shower. She barely came to his chin, and Richie looked at her graying hair as she turned the shower on him. Richie yelped as the icy water hit him. The professor (he hadn't caught her name) grabbed his shirt, and with a pair of scissors, quickly cut him free of the shirt. Richie watched as his shredded shirt fell.   
  
The water kept pouring. Richie tried to pull the chain to stop it, but it kept pouring. The Professor held him under until it stopped. "You, young man, are going to the hospital. Thank god you were wearing your goggles."   
  
A mental formula that MacLeod had drilled into his head surfaced. Hospitals + Immortals = BAD THING. "I'm fine!" Richie insisted. I don't need to go to a hospital!"   
  
The lab professor considered, noting how Richie didn't seem too badly burned. "Well, you have to go to the infirmary, at least," she mused, trying to cover her back. She motioned for Kara to come up to her. "Young lady, see that he makes it there safely. You two can copy someone else's data for this lab." Thank God, were the professor's unspoken, but recognized, thoughts.   
  
Kara smiled hesitantly. "I've already been there," she said quietly. "I figure it's a good idea for me to know where it is."   
  
Richie was forced to agree.   
  
******  
  
The infirmary was like every other one Richie had ever visited. A cheerful receptionist immediately escorted him in to see the doctor, separating him from Kara. The doctor was a lady in her middle fifties who clicked her teeth in distress when she saw Richie walk in, sans shirt. "What happened to you?" she demanded.   
  
The problem with being a redhead, Richie thought, was the blush-reflex. I must look like a tomato! I think I've blushed more since I got to college then I did during the entire last year!   
  
"My lab partner said she was clumsy. And she wasn't kidding." Richie said with a shudder. "Hydrochloric Acid is a nasty thing, especially when its undiluted."   
  
Her eyes widened. "Then why aren't you in a hospital?"   
  
"I'm fine!" Richie assured her. "My chem lab teacher almost had a heart attack so I sort of came over here so you can make sure I'm okay, " he said, Thinking to himself, and in the process, doing myself a favor by avoiding the hospital with it's noisy doctors. It should be easy enough to get out of Student Health.   
  
The doctor put on a pair of plastic gloves. "I can see they had you under the shower already," she said, laughter coloring her voice, as she waved a hand at Richie's sopping hair. "Do you feel any pain?" she asked as she cautiously touched his skin.   
  
Richie shook his head, grateful for Immortal Healing abilities. "I don't think I actually got much on me," he said, stretching the truth. Only about 50 milliliters of the twelve molar stuff, he thought. And let's not even THINK about the Magnesium!   
  
She looked at him, puzzled. "I guess they must have washed it off entirely. You're a very lucky young man. I guess you know the need for goggles now, don't you?" she asked.   
  
THE END  
Short, but the next part will come soon 


	5. What Fools These Mortals Be!

What Fools These Mortals Be!  
by: Quicksilver  
mbsilvana@yahoo.com  
standard disclaimers  
  
Monday: Chem 101 (9 AM)  
Math 101 (1 PM)  
Theater: (3 PM)  
History: (4 PM)  
  
Richie was getting sick of the jokes. He'd made the mistake of mentioning the hydrochloric incident to Methos, who's reaction was, "What did you expect? You're lucky it didn't land on a more sensitive area." Richie had flinched when he'd read THAT Email. And to think of Email, Richie had yet to hear from MacLeod.   
  
The hydrochloric incident had made him into a temporary campus celebrity. And something of a sex symbol, as well. Many of the females in his chem class had gotten a good look at his build, and they had liked what they saw...a lot..... Richie shook his head, trying to discard his unwanted thoughts. He held his book closer to his chest, hurrying for drama class.  
  
Richie was, by nature, a late person. Prolonged exposure to MacLeod has changed that somewhat, but he still had a long way to go until he could actually be called punctual. Case in point: his three o'clock theatre class. Last week he had almost slept through the entire thing, and this week he was cutting it close. For some reason, he was unable to actually arrive where he was suppose to on time. He certainly MEANT to, but things just never worked out that way.  
  
Richie managed to skid into his class just as the professor began to speak. He slid into his seat, hoping Reinheart (that was the professor's name) wouldn't notice him. No such luck.  
  
"Ah, Mr. Richardson," he said, almost purring.   
  
Richie felt his self-preservation instincts kick in. He looked at Reinheart, trying to conceal his discomfort. "Yes, sir?" he asked nervously.  
  
"I see you finally decided to join us. Did you finish your assignment?" he asked.  
  
Richie nodded, finally in control. He held up his copy of A Midsummer Night's Dream. "Yes, sir." Richie had been surprised that he'd actually almost been interested in it- but only almost.  
  
Reinheart smiled. "Good. I have some news for the class. We have been invited to put on a production for Family Day," he said. "I've taken the liberty of assigning parts. You, Mr. Richardson, will-" Richie closed his eyes, dreading what he knew was coming, "have your work cut out for you. You're going to be Puck."  
  
Richie's eyes instinctively looked around for an escape route. "I'd rather not," he said, trying not to squirm too visibly.  
  
"I'm sorry to hear that. Failure to participate in the class project will result in failure of the class."  
  
The young Immortal couldn't contain his wince. "Can't I at least play a smaller part- like Philostrate?" The smallest and least embarrassing part of the entire play.  
  
Reinheart's smile grew evil. "I've already cast the play.... I've been observing the class, and you, dear boy, are the only possible choice for Puck. Besides, in this production, Puck will be going shirtless, and I have heard rumors that you don't have anything to be worried about on that front."  
  
Richie wondered why the evil Immortal who had trapped him in the nightmare simply didn't come and finish him off. Damn MacLeod.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Beth's eyes widened as Richie told her of his latest disaster. She tossed the long rope of her braid over her right shoulder before speaking. "It's amusing. You seem to attract trouble the way honey attracts flies," she said solemnly. Then she started to laugh. Richie was eventually forced to pound her back a few times to try to clear her airway so she could breath.  
  
Richie and Beth were sitting at a table eating dinner, with Darian. Alex had gone off somewhere, and Richie's Chemistry partner Kara (since, after the hydrochloric incident, no one else would have anything to do with her), had joined them. The three attractive females made for a sympathetic audience.  
  
"Don't I just," he groaned melodramatically. "Then I had to sit through history like nothing had ever happened!"  
  
"Where can I get tickets?" Kara asked.   
  
Richie glared at her. "Through Campus Affairs," he informed her. "Supposedly they're raising money to start a REAL drama club, but I think they're just trying to milk our families for more money." As if the twenty thousand dollar tuition wasn't enough. Unlike Richie, most students didn't have rich benefactors like Duncan in the wings.  
  
"We'll get front row seats," Beth promised cheerfully. "And you know what? I think we might even be able to talk Percy into coming- she likes theatre."  
  
Everyone at the table shuddered, even Kara, who had already her some hair-raising stories of Beth and Darian's eccentric roommate. "What's she up to now?" Richie asked as a distraction technique.  
  
Beth turned slightly pale, and it was Darian who had to answer. "Last night she sliced up her arm pretty good. Said she was trying to "carve a scar" or something like that. I reported it to Mental Health and they interviewed her... seems that scarring yourself in a shape is the latest rage with some groups. Percy didn't have a proper iron brand, so she decided to improvise. They made her promise not to do it again, and she agreed, so they let her go. There must be a limit to how far she'll go- we just haven't encountered it yet."  
  
Richie grew more and more grateful for the introverted Alex. He wondered how Darian and Beth were even able to sleep in the same room as Percy. The idea of purposely scarring an arm seemed gruesome to Richie, and it showed on his face. "What did she carve? A pentagram?"  
  
Darian shook her head. "Nope. A peace-sign, if you can believe it."  
  
Richie couldn't. "A peace sign? That's-" he cut off, feeling a familiar surge of energy warning of another Immortal's presence. "Gotta run," he said, grabbing his tray and arrowing for the door.  
  
The three girls were left alone. "Something is not normal with that boy," Beth said, looking at the place he had just vacated.  
  
"You're telling me," Kara agreed readily. "That's the second time he's done that to me!"   
  
"It's the fourth this month its happened around me," Beth informed her.  
  
"Fifth, actually," Darian corrected.  
  
"Feels like an almost Clark Kent kind of deal. Richie just gets up and bolts away," Beth complained. "It's impossible to have a complete conversation with him sometimes!"  
  
The three girls exchanged amused glances. Then they raised their water glasses in a mock toast. "Men," they chorused before finishing their drinks.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Yet again Richie had had no luck with tracking the Immortal. It was starting to become annoying, to say the least. He almost would have preferred a direct challenge to all this pussy-footing. Having another Immortal come within range to Buzz yet not actually introduce himself was enough to make him want to scream. The Immortal had even woken Richie up twice, which had left him in the awkward position of explaining WHY he slept with a sword under his bed to Alex.  
  
Richie made a point of being early to his theatre class Tuesday. He walked in, clutching his copy of A Midsummer Night's Dream like a lifeline.  
  
He went and sat in the back of the class, looking at his copy and trying to get the words straight. He really like Puck's closing.... If we shadows have offended....  
  
A thump from the front of the room brought his attention back to reality. "OK, everyone!" Dr. Reinheart said. "I want all of you assigned to behind the stage stuff to go over to the next room. I've appointed Melvin my stage manager, and he'll explain what needs to be done! Anyone actually cast, stay here."  
  
The students shifted, and soon Richie was left with about twenty students surrounding him. They pulled there chairs in a circle.  
  
"We have two months- November 18, until the play," Dr. Reinheart said. "This will require some out-of-classwork, and even some extra rehearsals. I expect everyone to give their all," he drawled, though his eyes never left Richie's face.  
  
Richie flushed, trying not to feel insulted. He hadn't even wanted to participate, but since he had to, there was no way he would let his classmates down. It was obvious, even to him, that Puck was the pivotal role of the play.  
  
Reinheart asked them how they viewed their characters, and Richie listened thoughtfully to each of the amateur actors who would soon be taking the stage with him. When it was his turn, he spoke quietly. "I think Puck just wants to have a good time. He's willing to twist whatever command Oberon gives him to his own benefit- that is, making fun of people and causing trouble. He's like this big child who'll never grow up."  
  
One of the actors began whistling the song from Peter Pan, but Reinheart waved the rest of the crew silent. "And how does he move?" the Professor asked.  
  
"Move?" Richie parrotted, not getting it.  
  
"His body-language, his gestures! What kind of voice does he speak with?"  
  
Richie smiled, tilting his head in a puckish fashion. Then he sprang to his feet with barely contained energy. "Like someone full of joy and mischief," Richie said. He did a backspring over the desk, coming lightly to his feet. The girl who would be playing Helena clapped her hands, while the others just watched, their mouths hanging open.  
  
"I think you have a good foundation to build on, Mr. Richardson," Professor Reinheart said.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Saturday morning, nine am.  
  
Richie woke to the sound of his alarm. Rather then hitting snooze, he rolled out of bed, landing in a tumble of blankets. He muttered a few derisive words, then went to shake Alex awake.   
  
Alex rolled over, snuggling deeper into the cocoon of blankets. Richie whipped them off, and the sudden flood of cold air had Alex sitting up groggily. "Wha?" he slurred, not really with it.  
  
"Time to practice!" Richie sang out cheerily. If he was going to be awake this early on the week-end, he was going to annoy Alex, too.  
  
Alex groaned and attempted to bury his head under his pillow. Richie took it away from the slender brunette. "I'm not happy about this," Alex said.  
  
"You can take it out using the quarterstaff," Richie promised. "That is, if you can hit me with it!" the Immortal teased, sliding into a pair of sweatpants and a muscle-shirt, not caring how it made him look. He grabbed the quarter-staffs and even dared sneak his sword into his gym-bag.  
  
Half an hour later, the two young men were in the gym warming up. Richie used his sword in one of the katas MacLeod had grilled into his thick skull, while Alex lifted a few of the weights- which Richie had taken pains to show him how to use correctly. It wouldn't do for Alex to bulk up- he had a slender build, and packing muscle on it would have been stupid.   
  
The gym was almost empty- most of the other students were probably in their rooms either recovery from their hangovers from the Friday night parties, or sleeping. Richie was glad to finally have his sword out in the open, even if only for a few minutes. He restricted himself to Kendo only, trying to maintain the facade that he was a martial artist. That meant hiding the characteristic of an Immortal's style- the rapid slice meant to decapitate a head.  
  
Richie reluctantly hid his sword after about a half an hour. With a mental sigh, he went over and pick up his quarter staff. "You ready, Alex?" he asked.  
  
The dark-haired youth bounced over with energy that made Richie feel tired just looking at him. Alex grabbed his own staff and assumed a basic defensive posture. Richie attacked him with relished, decided to work out some of his frustrations on his innocent roommate.  
  
Alex was improving rapidly. The staff seemed to suit him perfectly, and Richie would wager that Alex might actually be able to beat him in a year or to. Richie had to keep his sword work up as well as his other skills.  
  
Richie was just leaping over a blow aimed for his legs when it hit him. Another Immortal. He managed to land on his feet, but was too busy comptenplating the situation to block the blow that was coming towards him.  
  
A minute later, Richie was looking up at a frantic Alex, trying to decide what car had hit him. His head was ringing like a gong. "I'm so sorry!" Alex was apologizing. "I thought you'd block that! Do you want me to get the nurse? You might have a concussion."  
  
Even though the Quickening was already healing his fractured skull (he could feel the bones shift back into place, which made him VERY happy), he felt his headache increase. He wasn't up to another little encounter with Student Health. And to top that off, he had another Immortal wandering around. Most likely, it was the "knocker", but he didn't want to be complacent.  
  
"I'm fine. Don't bother the nurse."  
  
"She certainly wouldn't be able to do anything for him unless she has a degree in psychiatry, anyway," a feminine voice called from the doorway.  
  
He shut his eyes, wishing that Alex's blow had killed him. "Hello, Amanda," he said with a resigned sigh.  
  
Amanda floated into the room, smiling charmingly. Her hair was dark and was bobbed at her chin, and her clothes screamed money. Richie saw Alex's jaw drop at the sight of her, a typical male reaction to the attractive female Immortal. "Hello, darling. Don't act so happy to see me," she chided him, brushing a kiss on his cheek.  
  
"Is something wrong?" he asked, trying to figure out what she was doing here instead of being in some luxury hotel.  
  
She shook her head, eyes laughing. "Not at all. Can't I just decide I want to visit my favorite college student?"  
  
"No," he said decisively.  
  
She laughed and hoisted him to his feet. "Still suspicious. I'm proud of you- thought hanging around all the frats would loosen you up." She noticed Alex and cast a smile his way, at the same time entrancing him with her feminine charms. "This Alex?" she asked.  
  
"Yes," Richie said as he started to pack up his gear. They weren't going to get anymore practice done with the thief around.  
  
"Well, how about I treat you two to lunch? I hear the food here leaves something to be desired."  
  
Alex agreed hastily and the three started back towards the dorm. Richie worried the entire way. Amanda, offering to buy something for someone else? She was up to something, and Richie was positive he didn't want to know what. He was equally sure that he wasn't going to have a choice in the matter.  
  
THE END 


End file.
